Judaea

Judaea

Judaea, [Judae’a] Judea [Jude’a] This name occurs in Ezra 5: 8 for the territory of Judah; in Daniel 5: 13 the same is called Jewry.
In the N.T. the name at times refers to a much larger district, including all south of about 32 5′ N with the plain on the west border of the land to mount Carmel as generally shown on N.T. maps. The land was thus divided by Rome, with Samaria in the centre, and Galilee in the north. In Luke 3: 1 Judaea embraces the above and Samaria; but in other passages a smaller area than the above is implied. Acts 12: 19 speaks of Herod going down from Judaea to Caesarea, whereas Caesarea would be part of the Judaea of the Romans. Paul, in Galations 1: 22; 1 Thessalonians 2: 14, speaks of the ‘Churches of Judaea’ which would seem to embrace the whole of Palestine. The context will almost always show the extent of the district intended. It is called Jewry in Luke 23: 5; John 7: 1.

Judea in N.T. Times

Original text taken from the New and Concise Bible Dictionary published by G. Morish, London